Fallow Stag, Knowle Park.

Sunday, 1 September 2013

** Saturday 31st August, Dungeness RSPB Reserve.**

Visiting Dungeness Reserve today was part of a combined trip to Dymchurch. Stopping of at the visitors centre to see what was about turned out to be quite fruitful. The daily sightings board had a some good birds on it, of which one of the species was on Burrows Pit. I have sat in the centre before and scanned with their scopes, but this time I went and got my own. I had a good look around, and I found what I was looking for, 3 BLACK NECKED GREBE'S. Closer to the bank was a Greenshank, and 3 Little Egret on the far shoreline. Just before I left a gull caught my attention sitting on a small shingle bank, it turned out to be a LITTLE GULL.
We then went to the Denge Marsh Hide, and when I got in there it looked like it has many times before, fairly bird less, but I settled down to find the other species of bird that had been reportedly seen here, firstly a Grey Heron flew across, and after about 20 minutes I found what I was looking for, 2 RED CRESTED POCHARD, unfortunately neither was a beautiful male, but still a good bird all the same, and as I was leaving the hide a Common Tern flew over with a fish.
My final good bird in this area came just as I was about to get into the car when a GREAT WHITE EGRET flew over.
Final stop was the ARC Pit, Hanson Hide. We stopped at the Entrance gate and I watched the feeders in the garden. The feeders had been filled up which is always a good sign because 9 out of 10 times it has Tree Sparrows about, and today was no exception, there was four that I could see but there was probably a few more about.
I was expecting it to be busy at the arc pit being the weekend but quite the opposite. It was the same back at the main car park.
When I entered the hide there was about 5 people in there. As I had seen all the waterfowl that I wanted to see today I went and sat just to the left of the corner seat (Ken's corner (as mentioned occasionally by Greenie of http://www.greenieinthewild.blogspot.co.uk/ )
I claimed that seat shortly after they built this new hide, I came here with a couple of mates and, I know I shouldn't have but I scribed quite deeply with biro KEN.B followed by the date ( yes I know I should have known better, but it seemed like a good idea at the time, still I must have made a good job of it as it is still there, sorry RSPB)
Back to the birds, I sat here because seeing as the water level is now very low it was good for waders. There was many Golden Plover roosting and at least half had their black breeding plumage and probably just as many Lapwing. Among the Lapwing was 4 CURLEW SANDPIPERS feeding. The only other waders I saw was 2 Oystercatchers, 3 Dunlin, and solitary Snipe on the far side of the pit.

Halling, Kent

** About Me.**

Birds have always been my main interest, my favourite being the Red Kite.The equipment I use is Swarovoski.
I enjoy taking photo's of anything of interest when out and about be it wildlife, scenic, etc.
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